A plant named Malfoy
by Namyari
Summary: A bookshop in muggle London, a strange plant and an uexpected meeting.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone !

I wanted to write this as an OS but I got inspired ! I wrote two parts and I may write about it again if I find some time between my studies and my life !

Anyway I really hope you like it.

I place it in the same time line as my other OS :)

Hermione Granger was not one to abandon.

She had already visited six bookshops and was rather desperate when she entered the last ne she had n her list for the day. The owner was a squib and had a hidden section with magical books as the shop was in the center of muggle London.

She greeted Greg, the owner, and he lead her in a corner, behind a magically hidden shelf, took three precise books in a precise order and pushed it to reveal another small room. She thanked him and he left her. He was used to her spending two or three hours in there to research something.

She looked at the rows, one at a time, shelf after shelf, grabbing books here and there. Finally she sat at the only table, putting all the books she had taken delicately next to her. And she searched through them. She searched for anything related to that strange plant Neville had offered her three weeks ago and what it could be used for.

She finally came across its name in the seventh book she read. She read the entire book : unfortunately the plant appeared only once. But someone had added some footnotes in the margins – a lot of footnotes. She put the books back on the shelves and grabbed the old potion tome she had been interested in. She would have to try and meet its previous owner so, maybe, he could explain to her things about what to do with her new plant.

She discreetly left the hidden room and went to the counter. She wanted for Greg to finish with his costumers and for them to leave the shop before she asked questions. Once they were finally alone she said :

"I've noticed this potion book, and I'm going to buy it, really, but I have a question : Who's book was it ? I found some really interesting notes and I'd love to know more about them."

"Well, I don't really know. All I remember is that it was a house-elf who brought is here. Hum… Tessy ? Tissy ? No ! Tipsy ! The house-elf's name was Tipsy !" Since she worked in the Reinforcement Law For Magical Beings Department (as she renamed it) at the Ministry, Hermione had help for the creation of a special House-Elf Register, to make sure wizards could not abuse them anymore. And Tipsy, well she knew who's House-elf she was. She was

"What has my house-elf done again ?" a deep voice echoed behind her.

"Malfoy ?" She jumped and faced him.

"Granger." He acknowledged her.

"Mister Malfoy" Greg bowed. "Thank you again for all of your books."

"It's okay Greg, nobody read them anyway." He took a shrinked bag from his pocket and enlarged it. He gave it to Greg and made his way back to the bookshop's door.

Hermione broke out of her reverie just in time : "Malfoy, Wait!" He turned towards her, an eyebrow raised as a silent question. "I'm just about to buy one of the books Tipsy brought last time and I'd have a few questions about some footnotes inside. I thought that maybe you'd be able to answer them." She looked at him expectantly. She really needed these answers. Different emotions played on the blond's face : "Well I'm sorry but I'm a bit in a hurry at the moment." She sighed, clearly frustrated. " Then when would you be able to meet me and help me ? I can be available whenever you want !"

He thought for a moment. "On Wednesday afternoon."

"Then on Wednesday at 2:00 PM I the Leaky. I'll buy you coffee."

He simply nodded before he turned and left the bookshop. But Hermione did not care, she was finally going to get her answers.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. : Well, here is a new -really short- chapter I wrote in class... (I should have been listening, I know )**

 **I hope you'll it too ! Enjoy**

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She was five minutes early because she always is. She has just sat down and ordered two coffees when Malfoy arrived. He was three minutes early because he, too, is always eary. He sat down opposite her and could see some surprised gazes in the bar. ("Is that Lord Malfoy and Hermione Granger ? Together ?" ) but he did not care. They greeted other and Hannah Abbott, the new owner of the Leaky Cauldron, brought them their coffees. She greeted Malfoy too and left quickly to take some orders.

Hermione grabbed the book from her bag and put it in front him so he could read its title. "Potion Making – A Dangerous Art for Courageous People". He raised an eyebrow :" A lot of dark potions in there, Granger. What are you up to ?"

She rolled her eyes "I don't care about the book Malfoy." She opened it on a precise page and pointed to the handwritten words in the margins. "What can you tell me about this plant and its flowers ?"

"Canisa Pink ?" She nodded eagerly. He frowned and concentrated. "If I remember correctly this is my mother's great uncle –or something like that-, Hypherion Black's book. I must admit that I don't know a lot about this plant. I think my grandmother had one of these. But to my mother's despair we do not have one anymore. So all I know is that it is a greatly rare plant and that many wizards dream about getting one."

Hermione was astonished. Why had Neville offered her such an important plant ?

"Actually, I've got one" she admitted and Malfoy eyebrows rose so high up his forehead that they seemed to disappear into his hair. "Neville offered it to me, for my birthday. He brought it back from a trip in some place in Africa. I'm pretty sure that it can be useful for potion-making or something like that but I could not find a word about it in any book, except for this one, here."

Malfoy read the notes and the potion recipe attentively.

"Well I don't know much more about it but if I'm right about whose handwriting this is then I've seen it in some other books… I'll ask my mother about it, and I think she has his portrait in her study so I may even be able to ask him about it a little more."

"Okay, well I'll ask Neville where exactly he found it. It may help us too." She downed her cup of coffee, grabbed the book and stood up. Malfoy did the same.

"I guess it means we'll have to meet again." He said, the corner of his mouth rising slightly.

"Indeed. Let's say same day, same place, same time next week ?"

He agreed and they shook hands, noticing how every other costumer was looking at them expectantly, while Hanna was smiling at Hermione.

Finally they parted ways, wishing luck to the other in his researches.


	3. A plant named Malfoy Ch3

Hello Everyone ! I'm really sorry it's been so long, but with one of the biggest exam of my life approaching I do not have as much time as I would like to write...

Anyway, I really hope you'll like it.

Thank you to all my followers and those who leave reviews !

Have a good night :)

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Draco was just about to jump into the floo to go to the Leaky when a silver otter patronus appeared in front of him :

'Hey Malfoy. Hum… It's Granger. Hermione Granger." The otter said and he rolled his eyes. Of course the patronus was hers, everybody knew the form her patronus charm took. Anyway he listened to the rest of her message : "I just wanted to tell you I may be a bit late." He hears her sigh heavily and could imagine her very well rubbing her face tiredly. "McLaggen cornered me, again, insisting I should have lunch with him and never backing off. Well, it's not unusual, is it ? I have a few papers to drop on Harry's desk and some I need to give Director Crooker… I'll be fast don't worry. See you soon." The otter bowed and vanished quickly from the parlor.

He looked at his watched and shrugged, he would wait for her a bit, no big deal. He stepped into the hearth and disappeared.

Once he arrived he sat at the table they had occupied a week ago. He laid a few books on it, some from the family library and some which were his great uncle (or something) diaries. He had read them and found some information on the plant. Finally he grabbed a letter his mother had written him with what she knew about it too.

He was so engrossed in re-reading his notes that he did not even remarked the Gryffindor sitting opposite him.

'Hum, Hello Malfoy. Sorry, I'm a bit late.'

'Oh Hello Granger. I received your message, it's okay. How's McLaggen ?' He smirked.

She only rolled her eyes and fetched a few papers in her bag.

'Well, who begins ?' he asked, pointing to the many documents they had gathered.

'I think I have less information than you, I'll be quick.' He nodded in approbation. 'So, Neville told he went to Nigeria, that's where he found it, in some small oasis. He immediately took it. He said it was not a place where he was expecting to see any plant as it has a very dry soil. We do not think it needs a lot of water.' Malfoy nodded, remembering what his mother had written about how his grand-mother almost drowned it. 'The local lore say that this is the rarest plant on Earth, and they may be right. If you find one you'll either be rich or doomed and have a pitiful life.' She waved to Hannah, asking for two butterbeers and continued. 'The local wizard lore is a bit different. They never use it in a potion if they can help it. It seems like it has really poisonous effects on human being and animals. They say that anyone who tried to use it in a potion died. Well with the exception of one mal, whom we're not even sure really existed. And that's about all.' She sighed.

Hannah came back and gave them two bottles.

'Most of what you said I can confirm. Dry environment, water kills it, poisonous. My mother wrote me about these aspects. And they were also in Phineas Black's diaries. He happened to have research this plant quiet a lot. Actually he even brewed a few of its petals, not an entire success but he did not completely fail either. He thought that if water could kill it then maybe if you mixed it with water in a potion it could reduce its poisonous effects. He even wondered if the whole plant was poisonous or only a part of it.' Hermione nodded. She had thought about it too. 'His diaries are mainly some potion recipes he tried, but they all failed. So I already know it is no use to try add modify some potions like Amortentia or Polyjuice. He wanted to try to add it to the draught of the livingdead or to the Felix Felicis but died before he could.'

He then grabbed another book. 'Apparently there are three main types of Canisa Pink. You can differentiate them on their colours. Red and purple, pink and orange or blue and yellow. The red and purple one being the most poisonous.'

'Mine is Pink and Orange.' she frowned slightly. 'But it also has some white dots on the petals.'

Malfoy frowned too. 'Hum I did not find anything about white dots in any of the books. Maybe it's one of the rarer kind of flower.'

They awkwardly drank their butterbeers.

'What should we do now ?' Hermione asked.

'I really would like to try and brew something with this plant…' Malfoy began. 'And I thought about searching through Snape's books.' Hermione raised an eyebrow at that. 'Well, he was my god-father, so I have access to some parts of his library. He left me most of his books you know.' He shrugged.

Hermione looked down. She may have not like Severus Snape as a teacher but he had been a brave man in the end.

'I think we should meet again, but in a potion lab, so we could try some things.'

She looked up at him intrigued. 'I agree, but where ? I do not have enough place in my flat to create a potion lab. And there are none available at the time in the Ministry.'

'I have on at the Manor.' He said and stopped immediately. He looked at her alarmed. She had froze with her hands clasped tightly. 'I also know friends who have one at their flat and who would not mind to lend it to us.'

She seemed to relax a bit. 'Who are these friends of yours ?'

'Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.' Hermione nodded, she knew them as they had been in both advanced arythmency and advanced potion with her. 'I'll contact them and send you a message with moments when the lab is available for us to experiment.'

'That sounds good. I'm free almost every evening, and on Saturdays afternoon.' She smiled.

'That suits me perfectly.'

They put their papers and books back in their bags and stood, leaving a few sickles on the table for Hannah.

'Wait for my owl Granger, I must have an answer from them tomorrow or Friday.'

'Great. And, I's Hermione by the way.' She said casually, not even looking at him.

He stopped dead in his tracks, surprised. A smile made his way on his face and he answered 'Only if you call me Draco.'

She nodded and they shook hands one last time.

When they both left the Leaky Cauldron, they realized they had both agreed to see each other again without any hesitation and were now on a first name basis.


End file.
